Tropical Rainbow Salad

Posted by natalie on June 7, 2013 in Lunch, Recipes, The Food Magician | 1 comment

Because I am fortunate enough to be able to cook AND eat with some of the best chef’s in the country on the new series America’s Best Bites airing on Cooking Channel, I naturally get inspiration from the recipes we feature on the show.

This recipe was inspired by Chef Daniel Orr’s Radish Salad at FarmBloomington in Bloomington, IN. He used a bunch of vegetables, including radishes, but with a chili vinegar. I realized I never buy radishes even though they have such a great crunch and are vibrant in color. I decided to use them in my latest creation and by the end, the salad ended up being so colorful it reminded me of a rainbow 🙂

Serves 4-6

• 8-10 radishes, thinly slices
• 1 C. julienne cucumbers
  
• 1 julienne carrot
• 1 C. chopped cilantro (1 bunch)
• 1 C. shredded or thinly chopped purple cabbage
• ¼ of a medium size red onion -thinly sliced
• 1 chopped D’anjou pear
• 1 C. chopped mango (thawed frozen or fresh)
• 2 juicy limes- juice from lime
• ½ lemon- juice
• 2 TBSP- coconut oil
• Pinch of sea salt

Wash and prep all veggies and fruit.

(Using a julienne peeler makes it so easy to get long, stringy cucs & carrots)

Heat coconut oil in a small sauce pan on low until it turns into a liquid. Let sit off the burner till it’s room temp.

Place all veggies & fruit in a large mixing bowl.  Add citrus juice, salt, cilantro and pour coconut oil on top. Toss gently with hands and serve immediately.

(Mango not shown here- but it really does makes the dish)

Because coconut oil eventually solidifies, you may see the salad develop a light, white coating from the oil. Not to worry, it still tastes great and may just need to be tossed again.

This dish is perfect for summer! It’s super refreshing, easy and has a hint of the tropics. I love to eat with my eyes and this salad has about every color in the rainbow, so enjoy!